Pencil.



B. T. MULLIGAN. l

PENCIL.

(Application led Oct. 31, 1901.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES freed for allowing the lead to be pushed back.

the lead or slate in their proper positions for UNITED STATES l PATENT 'OEE-ICE.

BARTLEY T. MULLIGAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PENCIL. l

sencrrrcarroiv forming part of Letters Patentino. 694,879, dated Mafch 4, 1902.

Application tiled October 3l, 1901.

To @ZZ ufhom/A t may concerw Be it known that I, BARTLEY T. MULLIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn borough, New York city,-.in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pencils, of which the following is a speeilication.

This invention relates to pencils-such, for example, as slate or lead pencils or like marking, Writing, or drawing substances. Forconvenience -of description the marking substance may be called a lead, although not merely graphite, but other substance-such, for example, as slate or crayon-could be employed.

By means of thisinvention a structure is obtained which can be readily made and operated, and the pencil can be fed out as requiredfor use or sheathed or moved back into the case when not to be used-as, for example, when being carried in the pocket.

The invention resides in the features of construction set forthin the following specifica` tion and claims and illustrated'in the annexed drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the pencil with the feed-rack retracted. Fig. 2 is a like View showing the feed-rack thrust vforward. Fig. 3 is a face view of the feed-rack.l or feed-tube with its teeth. Fig. 4 is a section'along cc, Fig. l1. Fig. 5 is a section along y y, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a section along e' e, Fig. '1, with the pawl in engagement or ready to feed the lead. Y Fig. 7 shows the pawl Fig. 8 shows a modification.

The lead or slate e is fed by depressing or rot-ating the button or the cap and held in position for writing, as required.

This pencil comprises a shell a, which has a contracted portion l), which serves to hold the pencil-case@ in the interior of the shell. The interior of this pencil-case is provided with a spring-pawl d, the tail of which butsagainst a lead or slate e. The pencil-case is providedwith a slotted portion f, so that the nose of the paWl cangslide freely up or down in the slotfwhen the pencil is being fed, Fig. 2. The nose of the spring-pawl engages with a rack g, which tends to hold the pawl and Serial No. 80,670. (No model.)

Awriting, Fig. l. 1 The upper and lower .p0r-

tion of the pencil-case is provided with lugs h, Wliichare engaged vby the rack or by a bridge 7c on the rack and tend t0 push the rack land pawl out of engagement when the cap t' is depressed{thus bringing the pencil Y and pawl in position for feeding, Fig. 2. A springj Will bring the lrack and the pencilcase'back to their normal position when the pressure is removed from the cap-z' or cam t2. Suitable means are provided for actuating or reciprocating the feedtube from outside'4 thecasing. A slide or cap 1l can be applied, Fig. 8, ,or a button or rotary cam, Fig. 1, has also been found practical. Y The button 1'.' has a cam i2, engaging a cam t3, mounted or 'seeured on the feed-tube. As the button is r0- tated or twirled back and `forth to bring the high parts of the cams to and from one another the feeding reciprocation is imparted to the feed-tube.

'A springl of bow or suitable shape secured to the pencil-tube or interposed between the latter and the feed-tribe tends to hold or press the pencil-tube orthe pawl to the rack. The pawl or tooth el is of course so shaped that when the rack is pressed by the actua-V tor or makes a feed-stroke the pawl partakes of the motion of the rack. On the return of the rack theV latter glides over the pawl or presses on the inclined face of the pawl to depress the latter against the action of spring Y Z. 'As the pawl remainsat rest during the return of the rack the latter brings a suc ceeding tooth lto register with` or engage the pawl, and on the next feed-stroke of the rack the pencil or its pawl isagain projected a certain distance. The pavvl can thus be gradually fed towardthe outlet-of the pencil-tube, if desired, or as far as the last tooth of rack g or end of the rack-tube;

The pawl is readily formedby a spring piece or wire bent or doubled at one portion to form a pusher fitting with certain friction into the pencil-tube and sitting or pushing against the pencil to feed or expel the latter. Another portion or end of the paxvl or Wire being suitably bent and iiledor inclined will form the pand-tooth.

The mouth or exit portion ot the pencil tube can be suitably split or provided with a spring part or made to form a clamp or roe spring-jaws which exert a certain friction or hold on the outgoing pencil portion, so as to prevent the latter or the pusher d from falling out.

It has been noted that when the penciltube'has its shoulders or lugs 71l resting nnder or ,against the bridge or pieces 7o on the rack `the pencil-tube or pawl is depressed against the action of springZ or freed :from engagement with the rack. The pencil-feeding pawl d and the pencil or lead can then be pushed back or sheathed in the tube to be protected, or a new pencil or lead can be pushed into place, the insertion or entry of the pencil pushing back the disengaged or freed pawl. The rack can be shifted to cause the bridge 7c to press the pawl free either by the slide-cap t' or by causing the high parts of the cams i2 3 to rest in engagement with one another, Fig. 2.

As the tube c and rack g are free from or simply slipped or inserted in the casing @,the

' parts are readily assembled or taken apart and are comparatively simple or easy to construct, and the tube and rack can reciprocate in the casing without rotating or can be rotated without reciprocating. The rack and pencil-tube can thus be inserted into the casing without requiring any alinement of any particular portion.

The reciprocating cap t can bev connected to the casing by any suitable connection, as a pin and a slot- A like connection can be applied at the reciprocating cam i3. The button t" or cap t' can be provided with rubber capor band m, serving as an eraser and also as an antifriction surface or pad, giving a secure or comfortable rest or hold for the finger or hand.

As a precaution against loss of the lead or pusher d a spring, as seen at n, Fig. 8, could be applied to press or exert friction near the outlet of the lead or tube.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A casing, a feed-rack in the casing, a pencil-tube in the casing having a longitudinal slot, a pawl in said tube for feeding the pencil and the nose of which projects through said slot to engage the rack, and means for operating the rack, said rack and casing being free from or placed loosely one into the other so that no rotation is communicated from one to the other.

2. A casing, a feeding-rack, a slotted pencil case or tube, a pencil-feeding pawl in the tube made to engage the rack, a spring for holding the case and pawl toward the rack, means for freeing the pawl from the rack for returning the pawl, and means for actuating the rack substantially as described.

3. A casing, a feeding-rack, a pencil case or tube, and a pencil-feeding pawl made to engage the rack, said rack and pencil-tube having a bridge and shoulder portion made to engage one another to free or disengage the pawl and rack substantially as described.

4. A casing, a reciprocating rack having a bridge portion, a pencil-tube having a shoulder portion, a pencil-feeding pawl in the pencil-tube, and a spring interposed between the pencil-tube and rack to hold the pawl normally in engagement with the rack, said pencil-tube and .rack being non-rotary to keep the pawl in line with the :rack-teeth and said bridge and shoulder portions being made to engage one another to depress the pawl to clear the rack substantially as described.

v 5. A casing, a reciprocating rack havinga bridge portion, a pencil-tube havingashoulder portion, a pencil-feeding pawl in the pencil-tube, and a cam for oscillating the rack to feed the pawl and pencil and to hold the rack with the bridge and shoulder portions in engagement to free the pawl for return of the latter substantially as described.

6. A casing, a reciprocating rack having a bridge portion, a pencil-tube having a shoulder portion, a pencil-feeding pawl, and means for reciprocating the rack to feed-the pawl and for holding the bridge and shoulder portions in engagement to free the pawl, said pawl being constructed from a spring-wire bent to fol-1n a pawl-tooth and a pencil-tube vengaging or friction portion substantially as described. f

7., A casing, a reciprocating rack, Va penciltube having' a pencil-feeding pawl actuated by the reciprocating rack, and a bridge and shoulder portion on the rack and pencil-tube respectively for freeing the pawl, said peucil-tube having a spring or clamping portion at its outlet to prevent loss of the pencil and pawl substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BARTLEY rr. MULLIGAN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. PoENsenN, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

